J. J. Liston Trophy

The J. J. Liston Trophy is awarded annually to the best and fairest senior player in the Victorian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football Association).

J. J. Liston Trophy
Awarded for	The fairest and best player in the Victorian Football League
Country	Australia
Presented by	VFL
First awarded	1945
Last awarded	Ongoing
Currently held by	Tom Gribble (Werribee)

History

The first award for the Association best and fairest player was the Woodham Cup, named after North Melbourne committeeman Alf Woodham, which was first awarded in 1923. The Woodham Cup was renamed the Recorder Cup, named after the Association's official match-day publication, in 1926.[1] Starting from 1933, a second award, the V.F.A. Medal (or Association Medal), was awarded concurrently. From 1933 until 1939, both the Recorder Cup and the V.F.A. Medal were presented annually based on the votes of the umpires; but the two awards were given based on different voting systems.

The two best and fairest awards were combined into one in 1940, when the Association dispensed with the Recorder Cup voting system; in 1940 and 1941, both the V.F.A. Medal and the Recorder Cup were awarded as trophies to the same player based on the same set of votes.[2] The Association went into recess from 1942 until 1944 during World War II; upon resumption in 1945, and continuously since, the winning player has received one trophy, the J. J. Liston Trophy, named after long-term Association president John James Liston, who died in 1944.[3]

From 1961 until 1988, when the Association operated in two divisions, the Liston Trophy was awarded to the best and fairest in Division 1. A separate award, known as the J. Field Medal, was awarded for the second division.

Voting system

The current voting system for the J. J. Liston Trophy is the same as for the Australian Football League's Brownlow Medal. At the conclusion of each game, the field umpires confer, and award three votes to the player deemed best on ground, two votes to the player deemed second-best on ground, and one vote to the player deemed third best on ground. A player is ineligible to win the award if he is suspended for a reportable offence during the season.[4] If more than one player ties for the highest number of votes, each is awarded a Liston Trophy jointly.

Past voting systems

Initial voting rules for the Woodham and Recorder cups, used from 1924 until 1932, saw the field umpire award two votes in each game: one to the best player on each team; the player with the most votes at the end of the season won the cup.[5] This was amended in 1933, such that the umpire awarded a single vote to the overall best player on the ground; this voting system was used from 1933 until 1939.[6]

When the V.F.A. Medal was established in 1933, its voting system was: the field umpire and each of the two goal umpires separately awarded two votes to the player they deemed best on ground, and one vote to the player they deemed second-best on ground – a total of nine votes awarded per game, with any player able to poll a maximum of six;[7] this voting system was retained when the Recorder Cup and V.F.A. Medals were combined in 1940, and was then used for Liston Trophy voting until 1980.[8]

The system was altered in 1981 when a second field umpire was introduced; after this change, each field umpire awarded votes to the best two players on a 2-1 basis, but the goal umpires did not, giving a new total of six votes per game, with any player able to poll a maximum of four.[9] This system was used only in 1981, and the present day 3-2-1 voting system, based on agreement between the two (and later, three) field umpires, was adopted in 1982.[10]

During the 1930s, multiple players could win the V.F.A. Medal if they were tied on total number of votes. When the Liston Trophy was instituted in 1945, a countback system was introduced, such that if two players tied on votes, the award would go to the player who polled the higher number of first preferences; and (after 1981) if still tied, the higher number of second preferences; if these countbacks failed to separate the players (as occurred in 1978), the players were joint winners. The countback system was abandoned from 1988, making total votes the only criterion for the award;[11] and, in September 1989, the Association amended the history books and awarded Liston Trophies retrospectively to players who had been beaten on a countback, following by five months a similar action taken by the Victorian Football League regarding players who had been beaten for the Brownlow Medal on countback.[12]

Winners

J. J. Liston Trophy

2005 winner Paul Johnson

1946 winner Bill Findlay

Year	Winner	Club
2019[13]	Tom Gribble	Werribee
2018	Anthony Miles Michael Gibbons	Richmond Williamstown
2017[14]	Jacob Townsend	Richmond
2016[15]	Michael Gibbons	Williamstown
2015[16]	Nick Rippon	North Ballarat
2014 [17]	Alex Woodward	Box Hill
2013 [18]	Mitch Hallahan Steve Clifton Jordan Schroder	Box Hill North Ballarat Geelong
2012	Ben Ross	Werribee
2011	Shane Valenti	Port Melbourne[19]
2010	Steve Clifton Shane Valenti	North Ballarat Port Melbourne[20]
2009	Myles Sewell	North Ballarat
2008	James Podsiadly	Werribee
2007	James Byrne	Geelong
2006	Aaron Edwards	Frankston
2005	Ian Callinan Paul Johnson	Tasmania Sandringham
2004	Julian Field	North Ballarat
2003	David Robbins	Sandringham
2002	Sam Mitchell	Box Hill
2001	Brett Backwell Ezra Poyas	Carlton Coburg
2000	David Robbins	Springvale
1999	John Georgiou	Frankston
1998	Michael Frost	Werribee
1997	Justin Crough	Sandringham
1996	Paul Dooley	Williamstown
1995	Paul Satterley	Werribee
1994	Cory Young	Oakleigh
1993	Michael Sinni	Prahran
1992	Joe Rugolo	Sandringham
1991	Anthony Eames	Werribee
1990	Joe Garbuio Steven Harkins Matthew Burrows Stuart Nicol	Oakleigh Port Melbourne Preston Springvale
1989	Saade Ghazi	Williamstown
1988	Gary Sheldon Brett McTaggart	Coburg Williamstown
1987	Barry Round	Williamstown
1986	Tony West	Brunswick
1985	Neil MacLeod	Sandringham
1984	Peter Geddes	Frankston
1983	Bill Swan	Port Melbourne
1982	Geoff Austen Bill Swan† David Wenn†	Preston Port Melbourne Dandenong
1981	Vic Aanensen	Port Melbourne
1980	Stephen Allender	Port Melbourne
1979	Vic Aanensen	Port Melbourne
1978	Barry Nolan Trevor Durward	Brunswick Preston
1977	Bill Thompson	Dandenong
1976	Danny Hibbert	Dandenong
1975	Derek King	Oakleigh
1974	Ray Goold	Sunshine
1973	Ray Shaw	Preston
1972	Don McKenzie	Sunshine
1971	Laurie Hill	Preston
1970	Fred Cook	Yarraville
1969	Laurie Hill	Preston
1968	Dick Telford	Preston
1967	Jim Sullivan	Coburg
1966	Alan Poore	Waverley
1965	Alan Poore	Waverley
1964	Bill Jones	Oakleigh
1963	John Clegg	Yarraville
1962	Keith Burns	Sandringham
1961	Doug Beasy	Box Hill
1960	Don Brown	Box Hill
1959	Bryan Waters	Dandenong
1958	Keith Woolnough	Northcote
1957	Ken Ross	Camberwell
1956	Johnny Martin	Williamstown
1955	Les Moroney	Moorabbin
1954	Ted Turner	Brighton
1953	Ted Henrys	Preston
1952	Frank Johnson	Port Melbourne
1951	Cec Hiscox	Northcote
1950	Frank Stubbs	Camberwell
1949	Jack Blackman	Preston
1948	Russ McIndoe	Brighton
1947	Stan Tomlins	Sandringham
1946	Bill Findlay	Port Melbourne
1945	Eric Beard	Oakleigh

† denotes the award was won retrospectively.

Recorder Cup/Woodham Cup

1941 winner Des Fothergill

Year	Winner	Club
1941*	Des Fothergill	Williamstown
1940*	Jack Davis	Brighton
1939	Pat Hartnett	Brighton
1938	Arthur Cutting Bill Downie	Williamstown Northcote
1937	Neville Huggins	Williamstown
1936	Bert Hyde Peter Reville	Preston Coburg
1935	Les White	Prahran
1934	Danny Warr	Preston
1933	Charlie Stanbridge	Williamstown
1932	Bob Ross	Northcote
1931	Bill Koop	Prahran
1930	Edward Hyde	Port Melbourne
1929	Ted Bourke	Sandringham
1928	Frank Smith	Prahran
1927	Ernie Martin	Coburg
1926	William "Bluey" Summers	Preston
1925	Tommy Downs	Northcote
1924	Bob Johnson	Northcote
1923	Con McCarthy	Footscray

* Awarded under V.F.A. Medal voting rules.

V.F.A. Medal

Year	Winner	Club
1941	Des Fothergill	Williamstown
1940	Jack Davis	Brighton
1939	Arthur Cutting	Williamstown
1938	Arthur Cutting	Williamstown
1937	Neville Huggins Jack Lowry	Williamstown Prahran
1936	Neville Huggins	Williamstown
1935	Fred Brooks Jim Dowling	Williamstown Prahran
1934	Jim Dowling	Brunswick
1933	Charlie Stanbridge Dave Withers	Williamstown Oakleigh

J. Field Medal

J. Field Medal
Awarded for	The fairest and best player in the VFA Second Division
Country	Australia
Presented by	VFA
First awarded	1961
Last awarded	1988

From 1961 until 1988, the J. Field Medal was awarded to the best and fairest in the Association's second division. The award was originally known simply as the Division 2 Best and Fairest until 1968, then was named after former secretary Jack Field in 1969.[21]

The Field Medal voting system was identical to the Liston Trophy voting in all years except 1981, when Division 1 had switched to a two-umpire system but Division 2 was still using a single umpire; in that year, the Field Trophy voting system was unchanged from 1980. As for the Liston Trophy, a countback existed until 1988 to break ties, and retrospective Field Medals were later awarded to players who had lost on this countback.

J. Field Medal

Year	Winner	Club
1961	Pat Fitzgerald[22]	Sunshine
1962	Garry Butler[23]	Prahran
1963	Dick Perry[24]	Geelong West
1964	Shaun Crosbie[25]	Sunshine
1965	John Bradbury[26]	Mordialloc
1966	Ian Williams[27]	Geelong West
1967	Larry Rowe[28] Colin Sleep†	Caulfield Northcote
1968	Ian Nankervis[29]	Williamstown
1969	Jim Sullivan[21]	Coburg
1970	Greg Smith[30]	Mordialloc
1971	Rodney Evans[31]	Camberwell
1972	Wayne Schimmelbusch[32]	Brunswick
1973	Geoff Bryant[33]	Box Hill
1974	Ron Allen[34]	Waverley
1975	Geoff Bryant[35]	Box Hill
1976	Colin Boyd[36]	Williamstown
1977	Derek King[37]	Oakleigh
1978	Lance Styles[38]	Waverley
1979	Jeff Edwards[39]	Northcote
1980	Kevin Sait[8]	Yarraville
1981	Brian Matthey[40]	Oakleigh
1982	Mark Williams[10] Russ Hodges†	Sunshine Kilsyth
1983	Terry Walsh[41]	Mordialloc
1984	Peter Nicholson[42] David Callander†	Box Hill Brunswick
1985	Darren Hall[43]	Dandenong
1986	Darren Hall[44]	Dandenong
1987	Peter Rogerson[45]	Waverley
1988	Stephen Sells[11]	Werribee

References

1. Fiddian, Marc (2004), The VFA: a history of the Victorian Football Association, 1877–1995, p. 29
2. Percy Taylor (16 September 1940). "Exciting V.F.A. semi-final". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. p. 11.
3. "Wind spoils game". Williamstown Chronicle. Williamstown, VIC. 29 June 1945. p. 2.
4. "Goodes to miss Roosters' pivotal clash with Williamstown". The Courier. Ballarat, VIC. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
5. "Notes". Record. Emerald Hill, VIC. 12 July 1924. p. 2.
6. "C. Stanbridge – best and fairest in Association". Sporting Globe. Melbourne, VIC. 16 September 1933. p. 3.
7. "Association "best and fairest" – two players equal". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 14 September 1933. p. 14.
8. "Port ruckman wins J. J. Liston Trophy". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 11 September 1952. p. 24.
9. Marc Fiddian (27 August 1981). "Aanensen wins his second Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 28.
10. Marc Fiddian (26 August 1982). "Austen wins Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 30.
11. Linda Pearce (25 August 1988). "Mates tie Liston". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 74.
12. Amanda Buivids (21 September 1989). "Champs rewarded at last". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 83.
13. Paul Amy (10 September 2019). "Werribee midfielder Tom Gribble claims VFL Liston Trophy with runaway victory". Wyndham Leader. Werribee, VIC. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
14. Prime, Toby (11 September 2017). "Jacob Townsend takes out J.J. Liston Trophy as VFL's best and fairest player". Herald Sun.
15. Waterworth, Ben (13 September 2016). "Michael Gibbons gives AFL chances big boost by winning VFL JJ Liston Trophy". Fox Sports.
16. "Rippon claims JJ Liston Trophy". The Courier. Ballarat, VIC. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
17. "Woodward wins J.J. Liston Trophy". VFL. 1 September 2014.
18. http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-118-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=25346858
19. Diamond, Brett (13 September 2011). "Valenti seizes second Liston". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
20. Mark Towson Shane Valenti takes out Liston Trophy, Retrieved September 12th, 2010.
21. Noel Pascoe (21 August 1969). "Sullivan top in three divisions". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 59.
22. "VFA medal to P. Fitzgerald". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 17 August 1961. p. 42.
23. "Prahran rover best player". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 16 August 1962. p. 24.
24. "BIG day for little man...". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 22 August 1963. p. 52.
25. Scot Palmer (20 August 1964). "Best & fairest". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 56.
26. "John was best". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 19 August 1965. p. 52.
27. "Geelong West player wins VFA award". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 18 August 1966. p. 54.
28. Marc Fiddian (17 August 1967). "Rowe wins award on countback". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 21.
29. Noel Pascoe (8 August 1968). "Nankervis scored". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 67.
30. "VFA best". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 13 August 1970. p. 58.
31. Terry O'Halloran (19 August 1971). "Trophy to Rod Evans". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 24.
32. "Award to Brunswick". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 17 August 1972. p. 28.
33. John Holland (16 August 1973). "Bruant takes VFA award". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 31.
34. "Ron Allen wins Field Medal". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 29 August 1974. p. 25.
35. Ken Piesse (28 August 1975). "King Derek". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 28, 26.
36. Marc Fiddian (26 August 1976). "Hibbert wins Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 32, 36.
37. Marc Fiddian (1 September 1977). "Bill runs away with Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 26.
38. Marc Fiddian (31 August 1978). "Trevor, Barry tie for Liston Trophy". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 30.
39. Marc Fiddian (30 August 1979). "Aanensen's Liston ends Port drought". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 32, 29.
40. Marc Fiddian (27 August 1981). "Aanensen wins his second Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 28, 27.
41. Gerry Carmen (25 August 1983). "Swan wins Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 28.
42. Dennis Jose (30 August 1984). "Geddes walks away with Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 24.
43. Brendan Moloney (29 August 1985). "MacLeod romps away with Liston". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 29.
44. Hugo Kelly (28 August 1986). "Brunswick's West wins Liston in last-vote thriller". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 28.
45. Paul Cunningham (27 August 1987). "Triumph second the Round". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 87–88.

External links

• JJ Liston Trophy Winners (Official VFL Website)